Marina,

Harold Speed's are the only ones I'll recommend when somebody asks for technique books. I've drawn the same conclusion as dear old Harold by studying the paintings at the Met and at Sothebys and Christies auction previews. When I take my students to the Met I focus on the way the great painters manipulated reality, not copied it.


Michael,

I never thought you were contradicting anything I said. I agree that painting from life is the most fun anyone could ever have.


Patty,

Obviously,as you well know, I place a strong emphasis on working from the live model. That's the way I run my classes and workshops. I just think there is so much more to it than that. I just think that people put the onus of creating great art based on merely copying from life.

You can paint from life until you're blue in the face. If you're not properly guided you'll never have the foggiest idea what you're actually looking at.

Marvin,
I agree totally. It seems easier to me to paint from life. The paintings I have begun in your classes are always better than anything I have done from a photograph. But I can't imagine painting these restless 7/9yr olds from life. They would look miserable! I have convinced mom and dad to let me to color studies early on and then at the end though.

Patty, I agree with you (cue music: we belong to a mutual

I can certainly agree with all of that!

Patty, painting from life is definitely easier. I am always astonished to see how fast a painting done from a life sitting is finished vs one done from a reference.

But I have to admit I love the idea that my work has made it as far as Pakistan. The internet has changed the way we do business and artists are working on a more global base now. Clients are no longer in our neighborhoods, but scattered all over the world. We have to make a choice if we want to work only with those who are willing to fly us out to paint on location or limit ourselves to those who live close to our studios.

I consider myself an artist without borders and have chosen to stay busy. I am working very hard at overcoming the obstacles photos represent and try to find ways to infuse each painting with s.th that is truthfully a touch of artistic insight. It saddens me deeply when I see that some have to create such schism between what they think portrait painting should be...

Regardless if you paint from life or photo, you have to know what your weaknesses are and try to work at them. Just as Marvin said, if you don't know what to look for it will not make a difference if the client is in front of you or on a photo. Not every portrait will be an award winner, but working consistently and trying to aim for excellence is what sets good portraits apart.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british...amera_04.shtml

What happens is that the lens spreads bright points of light into so-called circles of confusion. Such effects would not be seen by the naked eye. The art historian Charles Seymour and the photographer Henry Beville have tried to reproduce these effects, by photographing a similar decorative lion's head in a slightly unfocussed plate camera, with some convincing success. Several authors, including Seymour, have argued that Vermeer painted this and another tiny portrait, Girl with a Flute, using a box camera. The sizes of both pictures are of the order of size of a typical box camera's screen.

"You can paint from life until you're blue in the face. If you're not properly guided you'll never have the foggiest idea what you're actually looking at."

I tend to agree and would add that life is short and if one wishes to be a professional in this field then one should bite the bullet and get some training, a few years at least.

If one is not proficient in at least the basics of drawing should one be posting the work under "Unveilings, for the Seasoned Pro"?

Monkey-donkey-camera smoky
 

Thanks SB - that is a great fable and makes a great point!

To degrade another artist's work is definitely not a sign of professionalism and a practice that I refuse to participate in, no matter how low the blow.

The artist represented by 'A stroke of Genius' have to submit their work to be considered by Cynthia and definitely have to have attained certain standards to be considered for representation. To question the drawing ability of one of this organizations artist is equal to questioning Cynthia's experience in selecting of what caliber work she is representing on her site.

I think in all fairness that there should be a better distinction between the Unveiling sections. The Novice/student/emerging artist section is fine and well defined .

There should be a Professional Artist section, one for all those who are practicing professionally and are making a living selling portraiture.

Finally a Masters category (or Seasoned Pro), which is exclusively reserved for those who have received overall recognition within the field of portraiture.

I am sorry to have veered off track Marvin. Regardless of how we each work, each and everyone of us deserves to be treated with respect and I had to address this.

Memory as an alternative to photos
 

Painting from life is definitely best and after years of doing commissions from photos I can never say the word photograph without the words "soul sucking" in front of it. I have been painting plein air now for several years and find it is the best resource for developing artistic skills. I also find that it sharpens the visual memory allowing me to find what is essential in a scene and place those elements quickly. I have been using it for portrait as well and find I enjoy the process much more. I am currently working on a portrait of a Native American performer. He has been kind to sit for me and we spent much of the time talking while I paint. I did shoot photos but I find the portrait goes smoother when I put the photos away and trust what I know and what I remember. In this case the photographs become a distraction. Photographs freeze a moment in time but the memory is more fluid and I find better for remembering expression and personality. Memory also leaves out unimportant details that a photograph will accentuate. Developing visual memory has freed me from a bad habit of copying.